After a turbulent two days in Las Vegas that saw a wild melee backstage at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, and multiple fighters miss weight on Friday, the UFC has called an audible on its fight card to keep the event intact.
Drama reigned at the official early morning weigh-ins for UFC 279 as headliner Khamzat Chimaev missed weight by a colossal seven and a half pounds for his welterweight main event bout with Nate Diaz.
Fight week skirmishes between fighters are nothing new to the UFC, but even the famously well-drilled UFC staff were caught out when, in the moments in the immediate lead-up to the UFC 279 pre-fight press conference, all hell broke loose backstage.
Darren Till arrives to train with Khamzat Chimaev. Tony Ferguson feels out the Octagon. Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland preview their bout. UFC 279 stars open up at media day. Nate Diaz flexes for the camera.
Li Jingliang trains in quiet, then shops for suits. Tony Ferguson mixes it up in the PI. Khamzat Chimaev signs posters, Johnny Walker goes for speed. Macy Chiasson and Kevin Holland land in Las Vegas.
Khamzat Chimaev brings his entire team to Las Vegas. Li Jingliang cooks for friends. Ion Cutelaba spends Labor Day at work. Johnny Walker teams up with Tony Ferguson. Nate Diaz feeds his crew.
Nate Diaz settles into his Vegas digs. Khamzat Chimaev turns the PI into a shark tank and soundstage. Li Jingliang extends his work trip. Johnny Walker considers a move to heavyweight. Chimaev stays on target.
Get set for the welterweight clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz at UFC 279 with the UFC's event preview film, UFC Countdown, as the cameras catch up with the fighters, and their teams, ahead of their main event clash in Las Vegas.
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping runs the rule over a potential clash between Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington, and also offers a potential next matchup for Gilbert Burns.
If there were question marks over whether Khamzat Chimaev was an elite-level UFC welterweight, “Borz” emphatically answered them at UFC 273.